Zack Greinke's allegiance can be purchased for a price of $30 million per year. How many years is what will determine where the free agent ace will go.
And that could help San Francisco drive up the price that would cripple NL West rival Los Angeles.
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Greinke, 32, is coming off a career year in which he went 19-3 with a 1.66 earned-run average that helped him finish as the runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award to the Cubs' Jake Arrieta.
Both the Dodgers and Giants are asking Greinke's camp to provide more details of what he wants, according to a tweet from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
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Greinke could test his suitors by going beyond a five-year asking price, according to mlbtraderumors.com. Greinke would be 36 starting that fifth year, and teams will be more reluctant to bid beyond that.
"Greinke's age and the fact that he rejected a qualifying offer are both knocks against him when compared to his primary competitors -- David Price and Johnny Cueto -- but Greinke is also coming off the best season of the three," mlbtraderumors.com reported. "Beyond that, the general consensus among scouts seems to be that Greinke will age better than many of his elite peers, somewhat lessening the sting of committing a contract of significant length. In addition to the Dodgers and Giants, Greinke has also been linked to the Red Sox and Cubs, though other large-market, high-payroll teams figure to have privately expressed some interest as well."
The Giants already have three World Series titles, all done without Greinke's services. The best the Dodgers have done is reach the National League Championship Series.
According to another ESPN report, the Dodgers might not be the leaders for Greinke because they want to get younger and Greinke doesn't like Yasiel Puig.
But Los Angeles has gone all-in the last two seasons in terms of salary, hoping that its investment would produce the team's first championship since 1988. The Dodgers haven't even been to the World Series since that year.
If the Dodgers don't re-sign Greinke, they likely will overpay for Price or Cueto because the pressure is all on them.
Greinke could be swayed by San Francisco's championship pedigree, but if he's not, the Giants should be able to make the Dodgers overpay for a pitcher who could be potentially over the hill when his contract expires.
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